Take-up mechanism for braiding machines



April 10, 1956 w. DRAUDT TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR BRAIDING MACHINES 2SheetsSheet 1 Filed May 22 1951 l NVENTOR win Dramdi rrv ATTO R N EYoifllallmumu @H April 10, 1956 w. DRAUDT TAKE-UP MECHANISM FOR BRAIDINGMACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1951 R O T N E V m BY Williamlmmdz M04 ATTO R N EY United States Patent fice TAKE-UP MECHANESM FORBRAIDING MACHlNES Application May 22, 1951, Serial No. 227,648

6 Claims. (Cl. 87-31) The present invention relates to braiding machinesand more particularly to take-up means for braiding machines for makingelastic braids.

Braiding machines used heretofore for making elastic fabric haveemployed a first takeup means comprising a roller having a serrated, pinstudded or otherwise roughened surface which has sufficient frictionalcontact with the fabric or braid to draw it away from the braiding pointand a second take-up means comprising rolls receiving the braid from thefirst take-up means and discharging the braid from the machine. Suchprior take-up devices have the disadvantage that the required roughsurface of the roller comprising the initial take-up means roughens thesurface of the braid. The trade has tolerated the defective braids thusproduced only because no way has been found to avoid the injuriousaction of the take-up.

It is an object of the present invention to provide take-up means fortaking up elastic braids which avoids injuring the product and which issimple in construction and operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a first take-up means forbraiding machines comprising a pair of rollers between which the braidpasses, the axes of revolution of the rollers being so mounted thattension in the braid moves the surfaces of the rollers relatively toeach other to increase the gripping effect on the braid.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a take-up means fortaking up elastic braids comprising two rollers having smooth outersurfaces and between which the braid passes, and a mounting for one ofsaid rollers whereby tension in the braid which has passed between therollers serves to move the axis of rotation of said one roller along apath intersecting the surface of the other roller to exert pressure onthe braid between the two rollers approximately in proportion to thetension in the braid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a take-up for braidingmachines comprising two rollers running sub stantially in contact andthe axis of rotation of one of which is mounted to swing about a pointspaced from the axis of rotation of the other whereby pressure on saidone roller swings it toward the surface of the other roller.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the illustrativeembodiment of theinvention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides inthe novel method, elements, features of construction and arrangement ofparts in cooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularlypointed out in the claims.

In the drawings:

' Figure 1 is a partially diagrammatic elevational view of abraidingmachine, generally of a well known type, for making elastic braid, themachine having the present invention applied theretoj V 2 is afragmentary detail view showing the arrangement of 'the take-up meansaccording to the invention illustrated by Fig: l, a part being omittedand in- 2,741,150 atented Apr. 10, 1956 dicated by a dot-and-dash linefor purposes of clarity of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the take-up means shown in Fig.1, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in. the direction of thedirection of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view similar to a portion of l on a muchenlarged scale, certain parts being omitted and others shown in sectionfor purposes of illustration;

Fig. 5 isan elevational view partially in section taken substantially onthe line 55 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows andenlarged relative to Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings and description, only the means and method necessary toa complete understanding of the invention are specifically set forth,conventional parts of the braiding machine being only briefly mentionedas such parts are familiar to those skilled in the art.

The machine shown in the drawings is of a generally known type equippedwith a first or primary take-up means receiving an elastic braid from abraiding point and exerting a maximum tension on the run of braidbetween said point and the take-up means. From the first take-up meansthe braid passes to a secondary take-up means which moves the braid at asomewhat lower rate of speed than the first take-up to somewhat relaxthe tension in the run of braid between the first take-up means and thesecond but without reducing it below a very material tension.

The first take-up means shown in the drawings and presently to bedescribed is, in accordance with the invention, of a novel characterwhereby it maintains the desired tension at the braiding point withoutroughening the surface of the braid. To this end it comprises tworollers which pass the braid between them and one of which is urgedtoward the other by the tension in the run or bight of the braid betweenthe first and second take-up means.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, 10 designates as a whole a braidingmachine of generally conventional design having a base plate 12 in whichare fixed the one ends of bolts 14, the other ends of which are fixed toquoits or tellers not shown individually but lying within an outermember 16 and an inner member (not shown), the quoits, member 16 and theinner member together forming intersecting raceways (not shown) in arace plate 18. I The bolts 14 serve as axles for a set or train ofintermeshedv spur gears 26 driven by a gear forming part of the drivemechanism of the machine, (not shown). Gears 20 are provided withportions 22 having horn slots 24 adapted to engage with the lower ends26 of yarn bobbin carriers 28 which are supported and retained on plate18 by upper and lower foot plates 30 and 32, respectively. The. carriers28 are provided with heart pieces (not shown) joining the plates 3t and32, the heart pieces being adapted to travel in the raceways to guidethe bobbin carriers 28 as they are propelled by the horn slots 24, somein one direction and some in the other. The carriers 28 each have ausual bobbin or package 34 of inelastic yarn thereon, a strand 36 ofwhich is unwound from the bobbin as the carrier travels in the racewaysabout 'a braiding point in a plate 49. As the machine shown is intendedto make an elastic braid, rubber yarns 35 are fed to the braiding point33 through fixed guides 37 from supplies beneath the machine in theusual manner, the elastic and inelastic yarns being interbraided to formthe elastic braid. The plate 49 is shown as being adjustably supportedby a hanger 41 on a frame 42 forming part of the machine 10. It is to beunderstood that the carriers 28' and guides 37 are diagrammaticallyshown both as to number and structure and form no part of the presentinvention.

A primary take-up means 44 embodying the instant invention is shownadjacent the braiding point 38, the braid 45 passing directly from thebraiding point to the take-up means. Take-up is designed to place amaximum tensionon a bight 46 of the braid 45 extending between thebraiding point 38 and the take-up 44. Takeup 44 comprises a relativelylarge smooth surfaced revolving wheel or roller 48 around which thebight 46 of the braid extends in close contact, preferably forapproximately 180?, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. At a point such as 50,the braid passes between roller 48 and a cooperating smooth surfacedroller 52 which serves to press the braid 45 against the surface ofroller 48 to ensure that the braid shall not slip with reference toroller 48.

' To obtain this result, the roller 52, which may be quite smallrelatively to roller 48, is shown as mounted to rotate on an axle54,'best shown in Figs. 2 and 5, roller 52 being held on axle 54 by acotter pin 55 or other convenientmeans. Axle 54 is threaded for aportion of its length extending through a hub 56 at the end of an arm58. The axle carries a nut 59 abutting the inner face of hub 56 and anut 60 abutting the outer face, the nuts serving to holdrthe axle 54firmly in place and parallel to the axis of roller 48. The arm 58 isshown integral with a'strap 66 which has a portion 67 projectingtherefrom (Fig. 2) to counterbalance the arm and roller 52. Strap 66 ismounted to turn on a portion 68 of a bearing 7 (Fig. 6) in which a shaft72 supporting roller 48 is rotatively carried. Bearing 70 is supportedon the hanger 41. Said portion 68 is of a circular outline eccentric tothe axis of shaft 72, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, Strap 66 is maintainedin a given position axially of bearing 70 by a hub 74 of roller 48 and ashoulder 75 on hearing 70. Hub 74 is fastened on the end of shaft 72 bya set screw 76 '(Fig. so that the roller will rotate with the shaft. Atits other end, shaft 72 has a sprocket wheel 78 fixed thereto by a setscrew 80. Wheel 78 is driven by a sprocket chain 82, shown indot-and-dash outline in Figs. 1 and 4, to turn shaft 72 and therebyroller 48. Chain 82 is driven by a sprocket wheel (not shown) mounted ona shaft 83 coaxially with a gear 84 (Fig. 1). The latter forms part ofagear train 86which receives torque from the shaft 88.

4, the arm 58 lies, as viewed in these figures, on the left side of aline joining the center of rotation 96 of roller 48 and the center 98 ofthe circular portion 68 of bearing 70 and on which strap 66 is free toturn. Also, the sur-- face of roller 52 lies close to the surface ofroller 48 so that the braid extending between the two is firmly grippedbetween the rollers. 7

- 'In order to swing arm 58 and, therefore, roller 52 into and tomaintain them in the positions shown, the bight 100 of the braid leadingaway from the roller 52 is maintained undertension although this tensionis somewhat relaxed as compared to that in bight 46. The means formaintaining the bight 1013 under tension comprises the second take-upmeans 85 which includes the rolls 95 driven by the gear train 86. Threerolls 95 are shown each of which has gears 104 (Fig. 3) fixed to theends of the rolls to turn therewith; The upper roll of the train iscarried on the shaft 83 with the gear 84 of train '36, The gears 104 ofthe upper roll mesh with those of the middle roll and those of themiddle roll with those of the bottom roll. The shafts 105 of the middleand bottom rolls extend through and are vertically movable in slots 106in posts 103 forming part of frame 42. The shaft of the lowest roll 95is held up bybearing members 110 which rest upon blocks of rubber orother resilient material 111 which in turn rest upon members 112 havingset screws 113 adjustably carried therein. The screws 113 engage blocks114 resting against the bottoms of the slots 106 in the posts 108. Byturning the screws113, the level of the lower shaft 105, and hence alsoof the upper shaft 105, may be'adjusted to define bights between therolls 95 which exert suflicient pressure on the braid 45 to preventslippage without injury to the braid. As the tension should be relaxedsomewhat beyond point 50 but should still remain material, rolls 95 aredriven at a somewhat lower surface speed than that of the roller 48.From the lowest roll 95, the braid 45 is discharged from the machineinto a container or the like (not shown) or other receiving means. Tofacilitate accurate positioning of the braid on the rolls 95 a combguide device 115 is provided on the posts 108, as shown in Fig. 4. a

The operation of my improved take-up means will be 7 evident to thoseskilled in the art from the foregoing description. will be summarized asfollows:

As the braid comes from the braiding point, it passes directly onto theface of the rotating wheel or roller 48 around which it passes until ithas reversed, or substantially reversed, its direction. The braid thenpasses between roller 48 and the second wheel or roller 52,conveninently of much smaller diameter than roller 48. The braid travelsaround the surface of roller 52 until it has again reversed itsdirection and then through guide 115 to the rolls 95 of the secondtake-up means. The braid 45 is maintained under tension both in the run46 between the braiding point and the surface of roll 48 and inthe run109 between roller 52 and the second take-up means. This is accomplishedas follows:

Roller 48 is driven at that surface speed which the braid should have tomaintain the required high degree of tension in the run 46 between thebraiding point and the first take-up means. Rolls 95 comprising thesecond take-up means are driven at a lower surface speed than roller 48their speed however being such as to insure a relatively high tension inthe run 100. As previously pointed out, roller 52 is mounted at the endof the arm 58 fixed to the strap 66 whose center of rotation iseccentn'c to that of roller 48. The tension in run 100 tends toswingroller 52 and its supporting arm 58 upwardly, and,

'due to the eccentric mounting of arm 58, roller 52 is pressed towardroller 48 whereby the braid is gripped between the rollers and caused totravel at the surface speed of roller 48. V

The instant invention providesa positively acting primary take-up whichmaintains the required tension without the injury to the braidsheretofore occurring on conventional'machines. At the same time theapparatus is relatively simple. Also, it promotes easy reeving of thebraid fabric throughthe machine.

Of course," the improvements specifically shown and described by whichthe above results are obtained, can be changed and modified in variousways without departing from the invention herein disclosed andhereinafter claimed.

V I claim:

, 1. In a braiding machine for making elastic braid and having braidingmeans including a braiding point, a fabric take-up comprising'arolleronto which the braid passes from said point and about which the braidpasses for somewhat less than the circumference of the roller, a secondroller between which and the first roller the fabric passes, tensioningrolls to which the fabric passes from said'rollers and between which thefabric passes for delivery, a fixed eccentric surrounding the axis ofsaid first roller, a strap rotatable on said eccentric, an arm fixed tosaid strap and at the outer end of which said second roller is rotatablymounted and so set For purposes of convenience, however, it

with respect to the center of said eccentric that pressure of the fabricon the second roller moves it toward the first roller to press thefabri; firmly between the two, and means for turning said rollers androlls at desired speeds.

2. In a braiding machine having a braiding means including a braidingpoint for forming a braid, a take-up means comprising two rol ers, onemuch larger than the other and which rotates on a fixed axis and,therefore, in a circular path, a second and smaller roller, a pivotalmounting for said second roller, said mounting hav ing a center ofrotation within the perimeter of said first roller and slightlyeccentric thereto to cause the edge of the smaller roller facing thelarger roller to approach the perimeter of the larger roller to developa wedging action between the two rollers, and a second take-up means,the braid passing from the braiding point to and around the largerroller, between it and the Smaller roller, around the smaller roller andthen to the second take-up means.

3. In a machine for making elastic fabric, a primary take-up and asecondary take-up to which the primary take-up delivers the fabric undertension, said primary take-up comprising a pair of rollers, meanssupporting one of said rollers on a fixed axis, a member supporting saidother roller for rotation, and means pivotally mounting said member onan axis eccentric to said first axis whereby the movement of said otherroller is constrained to a fixed path intersecting the surface of theone roller at an acute angle to provide a wedging contact between saidrollers in response to the tension in the fabric delivered to saidsecondary take-up.

4. In a machine for making elastic fabric, a primary take-up and asecondary take-up to which the primary take-up delivers the fabric undertension, said primary take-up comprising a pair of rollers, meanssupporting one of said rollers on a fixed axis, a member supporting saidother roller for rotation, and means comprising an element surroundingbut eccentric to the axis of said first roller and rigidly connected tosaid member for mounting said member whereby said other roller is urgedtoward said first roller by the tension in the fabric deli ered to saidsecondary take-up.

5. In a machine for making elastic fabric, a primary take-up and asecondary take-up to which the primary take-up delivers the fabric, saidprimary take-up comprising a pair of rollers, means supporting one ofsaid rollers for rotation on a fixed axis, a member supporting saidother roller for rotation, means pivotally mounting said memberincluding a fixed eccentric surrounding said fixed axis whereby saidother roller is urged toward said first roller by tension of the fabricdelivered to said secondary take-up, said secondary take-up comprisingpositively driven rolls, and adjustable means urging said rolls towardeach other, the rollers and rolls of the primary and secondary take-upshaving smooth surfaces in contact with the fabric.

6. A take-up means for braiding machines adapted to take up elasticbraid and comprising a pair of rollers rotated in opposite directions,the braid passing between the rollers and around a portion only of theirperimeters, a fixed axis for one of said rollers, and a mounting forsaid other roller eccentric to the axis of rotation of said one rollerand constraining the movement of said other roller to a fixed pathintersecting the perimeter of the one roller at an acute angle wherebysaid other roller will be moved into Wedging contact with the one rollerto exert pressure on the fabric.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS441,734 Avis Dec. 2, 1890 498,418 Wyman May 30, 1893 609,272 GoodlineAug. 16, 1898 788,798 Steele May 2, 1905 789,816 Nutting May 16, 19051,857,835 Bidwell May 10, 1932 2,501,777 Libby Mar. 28, 1950

